Clover, River Bluff go for first boys’ soccer state titles Saturday

River Bluff boys’ soccer coach Phil Savitz coached in his first state championship game in 1980. Clover’s Graham Stafford, who was 6 in 1980, coaches in his first Saturday.

Clover has never played in a boys’ soccer state final, but neither has River Bluff, the three-year-old school that hired Savitz, the state’s reigning soccer coaching legend, from Irmo. Saturday’s 4A title game is ironically being held at Irmo, at 6 p.m., and Savitz is going for his 700th career win in the stadium that has a fieldhouse named after him. He led the Yellow Jackets to 14 state championships before launching the Gators’ program.

Buried beneath all those storylines, the Blue Eagles could be forgiven for feeling a bit overshadowed in the build-up.

“I’m absolutely okay going into the game as underdogs,” Stafford said Friday before his team’s final practice of the season. “We’re deservedly there so we clearly have a chance and with the way we’re playing right now, I wouldn’t bet against us.”

After sharing a Region 3-4A title with Nation Ford, Clover (19-6-1) beat Westside, Mauldin, Fort Mill and Wade Hampton to reach the state final. River Bluff (23-1) won its first 18 matches, lost to Wando 3-1 on April 23, then won the last five.

“You got two teams that are coming in, first time ever in a championship game,” said Savitz. “The energy is gonna be super-high on both sidelines.”

Managing Malpartida

Chief for Clover on Saturday? Corralling the Gatorade state player of the year, junior midfielder Marcelo Malpartida. The left-footed wiz has scored just a single goal this season, in last Saturday’s Upper State championship game, but sprays the ball all over the field like a sprinkler, opening up defenses and presenting scoring chances on a serving tray for his teammates.

“He does remind me of that type of player where you think, ‘I got him, I got him, I got him... nope, I don’t have him,’” said Savitz. “He’s very quick and explosive. He’s got good speed, but it’s more of the soccer speed.”

Coaches of the Peruvian under-20 national team have recently been studying Malpartida, whose parents hail from the country, with a call-up possible in the near future. Malpartida – a College of Charleston commit – would be the first youth national teamer from any country who Savitz has coached.

It will be interesting to see how Clover confronts River Bluff’s star midfielder, but Savitz said his team has encountered every possible defensive scheme this season and come through fine so far. The Gators have 12 seniors who can adjust the team’s tactics or game plan in real time on the field.

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Talking to a reporter Friday, Stafford and senior captain Dylan Jones both referenced Leicester City, which recently won the English Premier League championship despite starting the season with 5,000-to-1 betting odds. Like Leicester, Stafford’s team is very comfortable playing on the counter attack, has a great team chemistry, isn’t predicated on one star player, and is experiencing unprecedented success.

Jones – picked for the Clash of the Carolinas all-star game this summer – is what’s known as a box-to-box player for the Blue Eagles, covering every inch of fake grass between the two penalty areas. He snaps into tackles and is dangerous going forward, especially on dead balls.

Clover’s leading scorer with 11 goals is junior centerback Adam Watkins. One of his main jobs Saturday will be chaperoning the space behind the Blue Eagles’ back line, where River Bluff players love to sprint into with the hopes Malpartida pings a pass their way. Watkins is a keen reader of the game and partners well with physical junior Matt Ringler, who bottled up Wade Hampton all-state striker Erich Wilklow in the Upper State championship win earlier this week.

With Jones and Watkins forming the Blue Eagles’ defensive spine, it’s no coincidence they’ve shut out three of four playoff opponents.

“The first goal will be crucial,” said Stafford. “The longer we keep them at bay, the more the pendulum swings in our favor, the more nerves and pressure those guys will feel I think with the big crowd. They’re the home team, really, being so close to Irmo.

“If we get the first goal and give ourselves something to hold onto, we’re very organized and gonna be quite difficult to break down.”

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Clover, River Bluff go for first boys’ soccer state titles Saturday."